In March 2013, under the heading ‘Marketing vs. Writing: the author’s dilemma’, we posted a blog that turned out to be our most popular blog post of the year.
Judging by the response of our followers, it struck a chord. Now, almost a year later, it seems we authors face the same dilemma: how much time to spend marketing our work and how much time to spend actually doing what we do best – write? Right?
Well, here at Morcan Books & Films, we reckon we have the answer…
But first, here’s the blog we posted back in March –
Marketing vs. Writing: the author’s dilemma
Posted: March 10, 2013
Up to your ears in marketing, social media, tweeting, blogging, networking etc. etc. when what you really want to be doing is write? Tell me about it!
I’ve found an excellent article online – at http://bookpromotion.weebly.com – that may help you and me both. Its author rightly points out that “Authors who don’t plan their pre & post-launch marketing can end up spending a lot of time and money trying to play catch up after publishing their books”.
The author also estimates authors spend 70 per cent of their time marketing, leaving only 30% for writing.
Here’s the (abridged) article:
The 10 Tools Every Self-Published Author Needs To Save Time
Authors who don’t plan their pre- and post-launch marketing can end up spending a lot of time and money trying to play catch up after publishing their books. If you don’t plan properly, marketing can take twice as long as the writing and publishing process. Feeling late to the game? Don’t fret. The following list of resources will help save yourself from considerable frustration that most authors encounter along their literary journeys. Both new and veteran authors alike can benefit from these online marketing platform building techniques.
The 10 tools offered cover the gamut of marketing options at you disposal, ranging from social media, website and email to traffic, press releases and book clubs. They allow for the pre-launch of your book, pre/post launch and post launch.
An excellent article! Again, here’s the link: http://bookpromotion.weebly.com
>>>>> Fast forward to New Year’s Day (Down Under) 2014 and we believe we have the problem sussed. We’ve reversed the 70/30 ratio (of marketing to writing) and now spend at least 70% of our time doing what we love – writing!
Our rationale is writers are writers, not marketers. At some point, writers must let the market speak and not try to manipulate the hell out of it by using social media ad nauseam. The best thing writers can do is write and introduce new works to the marketplace. Build up your readers – your fan base. Let the market speak!
Sure, we tweet and blog and still use social media, but we strictly limit this to maximum 30% of our time – usually less.
In the past year we’ve released two new titles under Sterling Gate Books’ banner with another three scheduled to hit Amazon’s ‘shelves’ in the very near future. All our current novels have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists in their appropriate categories.
Here’s our current portfolio of published titles:
And our new release just out:
Scheduled for release this week is: The World Duology (World Odyssey & Fiji: A Novel).
Coming soon are: The Orphan Conspiracies (our first non-fiction work) and Into the Americas (another historical adventure).
Hope this inspires our fellow writers to write. Keep marketing your work, but don’t let it rule your life. Do what you love doing…do what you were meant to do.
Here’s to a great 2014! –Lance & James
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Morcan Books & Films 
Happy New Year, Lance and James, you guys are the real deal, I always check your blog when I open my e-mail, and it is still there! unlike some where I hate to say, I just can’t keep up with and as you say in this blog, one has to make choices. I am going through the article you highlighted and it looks great advice. Many thanks.
Thanks Trevor. Hope it helps. Not to say we have all the answers. Best, Lance